Postby justanewbie » Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:32 am
In a bid to assist more 'new bike' buyers on a limited budget, I'm writing a review on two reid bikes, firstly the Condor and secondly the Harrier.
Firstly, a bit about myself to set perspective. I'm a 21 year old university student (well, just graduated so an unemployed 21 year old now) who has been riding since Feb-2011. I do not race (yet), but I've been training for the past 6 months on a Cannondale Caad9 in a bid to increase my leg strength and fitness levels so that I may compete for fun next year. I go for rides every day, be it a 10km ride to and from uni to a 100km ride to redcliffe or a 1 hour session on a trainer if I can't get outdoors. I am not affiliated with Reid in any way, and have not been paid to do this review.
Condor
This bike was bought for my cousin as he and I almost always go for rides together. We got it posted up to Brisbane (Before they opened up their store here) and we assembled it as per instructions. It is a solid machine, albeit built to a budget. The wheels are heavy, the groupset is very old and 12-speeds aren't that great. Back then (Jan-Feb 2012) we would average 20km to 40km rides at a time. At least once a week, there would be some form of trouble with the bike. Most of those problems were from the crappy groupset dropping a chain, or the incredibly cheap tyres being worn through and blowing.
I upgraded my bike (Cannondale Caad9) with a better groupset, so I decided to pass down my old 5600 105 groupset just to see how that would go on the condor. Not a problem since. However, most people buying this bike will not have a spare 105 groupset to upgrade to, so my recommendation, although I wish I didn't have to say it, is don't buy unless you have a lot of time and patience for maintaining your bike. With the new groupset, the bike is flawless, frame is stiff and strong, handles well, and we haven't had a problem since, while tackling longer rides (60+kms).
Harrier
I didn't want my precious cannondale to get beat around or stolen while I was at uni, and also I didn't want to have to bring a spare pair of shoes (as I use cleats), so I bought the Harrier for my travel needs. I love this bike. When I went to purchase it from the store (just opened) in Brisbane, I wanted to buy a white frame, but they weren't in stock, and the next lot weren't due for another 3 months. So I bought a blue frame, completely customised the bike to my liking (also including drop bars and brakes), and a larger rear sprocket, all for the incredible price. They built it up on the spot, and I was riding within 20 minutes. That's already 5 stars for service. I cover a simple 5kms to and from my house to university, almost every day, and it works flawlessly. The brakes work better than the ones that came on my road bike, the ride is comfortable, and yet strong enough (for me) so I can push hard if I want to make it through the yellow light. All stickers are removable without any sandpaper needed, and the looks of the bike are brilliant. I love the deep V rims, although, and this brings me to my only downside, the weight is awful. Otherwise, continual bike maintenance (wash the bike and lube the chain once a week) will keep it running smoothly and with few problems. Recommendation: If you're looking for a fixie to get you out and about, all while matching your chino pants and wearing a fedora, then this is the bike to buy. Otherwise, it can also be set up as a single speed for everyone else out there.
I hope these reviews are useful for those looking at buying either of these two bikes, and to anyone else who disagrees with what I've written, suck it up and post your own review.